A first-in-first-out or "FIFO" buffer is a well-known memory tool often used to transfer data from a source system to a destination system wherein the rate of output from the source system is not always the same as the rate of input of the destination system.
In certain applications, it is desirable to implement numerous independent FIFO buffers at the same time. For example, when multiple data streams must be coupled from one or more source systems to one or more destination systems, multiple FIFO buffers are required, one for each data stream. Clearly however, implementing multiple independent FIFO buffers requires redundant hardware and results in an increase in system cost as well as circuit space. Moreover, such a redundant hardware solution may represent waste for applications wherein it is not possible for all of the independent FIFOs to be full simultaneously, but wherein it is not possible to predict which FIFO will require maximum storage capacity at any given moment.
It is therefore an object of the invention to allow multiple independent FIFO buffers to share a single memory structure, thereby avoiding hardware redundancy.
It is a further object of the invention to avoid wasted storage capacity by allowing the maximum storage capacity of the single memory structure to be allocated dynamically among the multiple independent FIFOs during system operation according to the needs of the independent data streams being buffered.